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We are at a crossroads politically in Israel right now.
Fact is, when the war subsides there will be new elections, and the current government will likely, and deservedly, be gutted. There will be investigations galore. Some will lose their jobs. Who knows? Some might even go to jail.
For certain there will be lots of scapegoats and a lot of finger pointing. But even if it takes years to get there, the truth will come out.
Someone dropped the ball on October 7th. Someone is responsible for what happened. For what we let happen to our country, to our brothers and sisters.
Those responsible should have a lifetime of sleepless nights. And their day of reckoning can’t come soon enough.
The Economy
I’ve had a handful of discussions in recent weeks. Israel, as we know, is riddled with problems. The economy is a mess. And pretty much everyone living here suffers financially, in ways that are completely unnecessary. The government has the power to make the requisite changes that can make our society thrive.
It just chooses not to.
Why not? I’ve heard many explanations. But they all fall short. Israel deserves better. But there’s one explanation that bothers me the most.
We’ve got bigger fish to fry. There’s a war going on right now that’s consuming our lives. We can’t be expected to consider Israel’s security concerns while simultaneously tackling all of Israel’s other issues too.
I believe this is utter nonsense. In every way. For many reasons.
No Excuses
First of all, yes, things are worse now. But Israel had major security concerns before October 7th, and will always have massive security concerns. This does not exempt the nation from looking in other directions to figure out how it can improve. It’s just an excuse.
The world has not stopped turning. The universe’s problems have not stopped piling on. Someone dropped the ball on October 7th. But there are many other plates still spinning. We don’t need more to come crashing down around us.
Second, there are people out there whose lives and careers are, or at least should be, dedicated to other causes, wholly unrelated to Israel’s war efforts.
Right now I’m trying to get my Master’s degree converted so that Israel recognizes it. I applied some time in August and there’s been no movement. This usually takes two months or so. When I contacted the Ministry of Education, they said it will likely take at least six months.
Why? Because there’s a war going on.
The Ministry of Education and the War
Now, I’m certain there are people who work out of their office who are doing reserve duty at the moment, thus slowing work flow. And there are others with loved ones toiling away in Gaza at the moment. Their fears have an impact on their daily workflow. Admittedly, to some extent that’s true for everyone here, and some a lot more than others.
But the war will be won with or without the existence of the Ministry of Education. Life continues, despite the challenges going on around us. And if your purpose is dedicated to something not related to the war, why should you get to use the war as an excuse to do everything poorly?
There are people in Israel dedicated to the economy. Dedicated to housing. Dedicated to transportation. These all have major issues that need to be addressed. They can’t be continuously ignored, otherwise progress will never be made. I can’t just stop doing my job and claim it’s because there’s a war going on. And neither should they.
A Better Country to Return to
And finally, despite the fact that the war doesn’t directly benefit from these other entities seeking to do their job well, in the big picture it could be massively beneficial to the war efforts also.
Think about it.
A reserve-duty soldier is sitting in a dark room somewhere in Gaza. He’s frightened for his life. He’s exhausted. He misses his wife and kids. Feels like his whole life is moving along without him, and he’s nervous to someday return to a world that’s different from the one he left.
But he’s not fully disconnected from the universe. There’s internet. Occasional phone calls. Word of mouth. He knows, at least generally, what’s going on around him.
And a calm, functional country can mean the difference between having the wherewithal to intelligently defend his nation, or God forbid make an error that can cause him or someone else to lose their life.
We need to be a better nation and to continuously improve at what we do, so that our family and friends on the frontline have fewer distractions. They shouldn’t have to worry about increasing property taxes or renewed judicial reform insanity. They should only hear reports of all the people who’ve been so kind and helpful to their family in their absence. And how Israel’s economy is thriving. And how despite hardships, Israel keeps progressing forward, becoming a better nation every day.
What’s Our Role?
I know that there’s the potential for feeling insensitive by continuing to live our lives despite the fact that minutes away there are people risking their wellbeing so that we can all have freedom. It’s a painful reality of the current situation. We continue on with our world while they suffer. While they live in fear. And while some of them don’t even ever return.
So what’s our role during all of this? How do we enhance their experience while they bravely defend Israel’s right to exist?
We do so by making it a more warm and comforting place to return to. And by not distracting them with the relative nonsense of our lives while they’re battling in the thick of terror and madness.
Their responsibility is to work night and day to ensure we exist. Our responsibility is to facilitate them being able to do so, and making sure the country they return to is one worth fighting for.
Never use the war as an excuse to not do what you’re here for.
The heroes are counting on us to be better than that.
